This is one of my all-time favorite stories.
It’s about Adam,
- A software engineer hailing from a middle class family
- Recently graduated from university.
- Encountered disastrous setbacks in the first 5 job interviews.
After interviewing him myself, here are 3 reasons why I believe Adam is not getting the job he thinks he deserves:
- Lack of self-confidence and self-awareness
- Lack of interviewing skills
- Misunderstanding of the market
Adam is actually my cousin. I saw him growing up in front of my eyes. he has always been a very kind person, helpful and loved by everyone. I still remember the day when he volunteered to help me move into my new apartment, despite having a busy schedule himself. That’s just the kind of person Adam has always been – selfless and caring.
After a moment of reflection, I spoke honestly, “I’m not one to hand out jobs based on family ties. However, I do believe in the adage, “Ask for advice, you get money; ask for money, you get advice.” I’m willing to lend you enough to sustain yourself with dignity until you secure employment, on the condition that you follow my guidance.”
With only a handful of money remaining, he confessed, “I’m teetering on the edge of homelessness.”, “Could you please share your thoughts or advice on how to excel in interviews?” he pleaded. It was evident that he urgently needed to secure employment.
I proposed a weekly exchange: “I’ll send you letters with insights to enhance your interviewing skills. In return, you’ll use these insights to refine yourself, broaden your skills, and gain a deeper understanding of how employers make hiring decisions. You will then send me back a sum up of everything you have achieved towards your goal.”
He responded with gratitude, “You can trust me on this” he said with a relieved smile.
I truly wanted to assist him in overcoming the dire situation he’s facing, but I must admit, I also had some selfish motivations. The interviewing process is incredibly time-consuming, and I’ve grown weary of dealing with a large number of candidates who are simply unprepared. It’s a waste of time that I hoped to minimize. Therefore, I made the decision to publish the letters I write for Adam on our website. My goal is to formalize them as a mandatory step in our job application process, ensuring that only candidates who have engaged with this material are considered for an interview.
In fact, recruiters seek candidates who not only match the technical requirements of the job but also align with the company’s culture, share its values, and embrace its purpose as their own. This is crucial because when individuals believe in the company’s purpose, managers focus on managing the purpose rather than micromanaging people.
The initial letters in this series will cover various aspects of the job search journey, including:
- Strategies and tools for self-reflection
- Building a strong digital brand
- Effective networking and job application techniques
- Preparation for successful interviews
- Negotiating salary and benefits.
I will then delve into more technical aspects to assist Adam in evolving into a proficient T-shaped software engineer who comprehends the requirements of production environments. This will help him move beyond the phase of passively watching disjointed technical concepts on YouTube tutorials, towards integrating and implementing concepts effectively in real-world scenarios. The projects featured in these letters will draw upon years of experience, integrating various technical components within a production environment. These components encompass:
- Agile software development frameworks
- Best practices in software engineering
- Database management, encompassing both SQL and NoSQL technologies
- Security measures, spanning network and software security
- Practices in DevOps, DevSecOps, and MLOps
- Statistical analysis techniques
- Data engineering principles
- Data analytics methodologies
- Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, LLM, and RAG techniques
- Mathematical optimization strategies
Upon completing this series of letters, Adam will have the capability to excel in the role of Chief Technology Officer within an established organization or as a technical co-founder of a software startup.
If you, my dear reader, aspire to achieve such capabilities, I wholeheartedly invite you to subscribe to my newsletter. By doing so, you’ll ensure that you never miss a single letter in this transformation series.